Commercial electrochemical cells (e.g., electrochemical cells for AA, AAA, C and D batteries) based on, for example, NiCad, NiMH, Alkaline and/or LiFeS2 chemistries have an open circuit voltage (OCV) in the range of 1.4-1.8V. Depending on the chemistry of the electrochemical cell and the drain caused by the load connected to the cell, the closed circuit voltages (CCV) for commercial electrochemical cells during use are usually in the range of 1.8V to 0.9V. Common types of consumer portable battery-operable devices are thus often designed to operate at voltage levels commensurate with the voltage/power levels provided by off-the-shelf batteries having the above-specified chemistry types. Higher voltage electrochemical primary batteries and secondary batteries (i.e., rechargeable batteries), such as batteries based on Lithium/MnO2 and Lithium Ion chemistries, generally have higher energy and power density than those of lower voltage batteries.